On Jan. 23, 1979 New York/San Francisco Giants great Willie Mays was selected by the BBWAA as a member of the Hall of Fame, earning almost 95 percent of the vote.
The 24-time All-Star put himself on the map and began paving the road to Cooperstown during a magical 1954 campaign. "The Say Hey Kid" hit .345 with 41 home runs and 110 RBIs en route to his first National League MVP award, but the best was yet to come.
Mays made arguably the best defensive and most memorable play of all time in Game 1 of the 1954 World Series, when he tracked down a Vic Wertz deep fly ball, and made an outstanding over-the-shoulder catch with the score tied 2-2 in the top of the eighth inning.
(Courtesy: MLB.com)
The play prevented the Cleveland Indians from taking the lead, setting the stage for a Giants rally in the 10th inning to steal a victory. New York would go on to sweep the series, giving Mays the only World Series title of his prestigious career.